The White Admiral

Rayeburn

At the Start
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Nov 3, 2007
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A four year old, as yet unraced gelding, now in the hands of Nicky Henderson. The only horse to be officially registered as true white of colour in the UK. I know it’s a longshot but, as Henderson does not appear to have a website of any kind, would anyone know if pictures of the horse are available somewhere or is it a just wait and see scenario?
 
It's definitely white to look at rather than grey. Saw it at the Lambourn Open Day, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.
 
I posted this on FF in June 2008, presume this is the same beast.

Nicky Henderson apparently purchased a very strange and unique sort of horse at the Derby Sale at Fairyhouse this week. It is an albino (subject to debate!) 3yo by Revoque and was a half brother to the very good horse called Hati Royal. He is a pure white horse who apparently goes pink in the rain as the white hairs become colourless and the pink skin underneath shows through . When being vetted at the sales, he scared off all the other horses. :p

It was subsequentlyrumoured that HM The Queen was a potential owner, but that may have changed:D

Found this article on Horse and Hound site but no pics, maybe someone took some on Lambourn Open day ?

Connections of the only white registered thoroughbred in the UK will be crossing their fingers that it stands out as much on the track as it does in the record books.
Out of the 67,000 thoroughbred foals born in Britain and Ireland over the past four years recorded in the Weatherbys General Stud Book (GSB), 74% are bay. The others are mainly brown or chestnut. But there is only one white foal — The White Admiral.

"To have a white thoroughbred is extremely rare. There are thousands of grey foals registered, but just the one white," said Paul Greeves from Weatherbys.

"He is the first we have had registered in over 30 years — the last was Checkmont back in 1974."

The White Admiral was foaled in Co Tipperary in 2005 and was bred by Elizabeth Kennedy.

He is now in Lambourn with top National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson and is expected to make his racecourse debut later this year.

"The White Admiral is doing well so far, whether he'll prove to be a great racehorse, time will tell," said Mr Henderson's assistant Tom Symonds.

Mr Greeves added: "To be defined as white the horse must have no pigment colour in any part of its coat. It has a chromosome mutation which causes depigmentation. It is not albino."
 
He appears reasonably well bred and is no doubt striking. I'd love him to do well.

Huge thanks to all for your help. And thanks for the link also, I'm currently mooching through turfpix.
 
This horse has to be an albino, then ?

No he’s not albino. DG's post above is correct. According to Weatherbys to be defined as white the horse must have no pigment colour in any part of its coat. It has a chromosome mutation which causes depigmentation.
He is the first to be registered in over 30 years with Weatherbys, the last was Checkmont in 1974. It's extremely rare.
 
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Albinism is unknown in horses, and white appears to be an extreme expression of the sabino gene.

It's generally (or wholly?) associated with the chestnut colour, i.e. when the foal would otherwise have been chestnut.
 
The Weatherbys General Stud Book is published every four years. The new edition, featuring The White Admiral, was out on September 11.
 
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